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Rocky’s Reloading Room |
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Mini-Tips
Rocky says: Think of these as a year’s worth of “Tip of the Week” all in one place!
Use retired, culled or unusable brass as master adjustment gauges. Size, decap and trim two reject cases. Use one as a trim-length master to set up the case trimmer. Seat a bullet in the other to the maximum cartridge overall length preferred by your rifle or pistol. Use that one as a bullet seating and crimping master. Mark each with its exact length using a permanent pen. Keep both cases in the loading die box for that caliber.
Check powder scales often; inaccurate scales are dangerous. Dust, impacts and even static electricity can cause scales to read inaccurately. Level powder scales carefully and keep them covered when not in use. Use calibrated check weights or a match-grade bullet to check scales before use. If a scale beam or base is ever dropped to the floor, it is safest to scrap it and buy another scale. Electronic scales should always be thoroughly warmed up and calibrated before use. Never drop anything onto the scale pan, and keep the scale protected from power surges.
Pulled bullets may be safely reloaded in all but extreme circumstances. Unless the bullet jacket is cracked through or badly scraped, pulled bullets are usually as accurate as new ones. Inertia pullers cause the least amount of bullet damage, but are very slow to use and can spill powder. Collet-style pullers are fast and neat but crimp each bullet slightly. Except with very thin-jacketed varmint bullets, this really doesn’t matter. So go ahead and use those pulled bullets.
One of the most neglected aspects of reloading is die maintenance. Dies should be cleaned regularly to remove caked lubricant, brass particles and grit. Abrasive debris can scratch the sizing die enough to ruin it. Excessive lube buildup can cause dents in sized cases. Seating dies also suffer from debris and hardened lubricant. Seating depth can be altered or bullets can be seated off-center if debris is present. Clean all dies periodically with bore solvent, then dry and lightly coat with rust preventative.
If you bump or jostle your powder measure, and anytime you change settings or add powder, throw three to five charges and return them to the hopper. Then re-weigh at least one charge before resuming loading. Any change or disturbance will alter the amount of powder in the drum for several cycles, which directly affects the weight of the charge thrown. This, of course, can be hazardous. Also - maintain a constant height of powder in the measure for best results.
For target or varmint loads, increase accuracy and case life by backing off the sizing die one-half turn. The slightly larger, unsized portion of the neck helps center the round in the chamber for better concentricity. When chambering becomes difficult (after three firings or so) return the die to its usual position to fully resize once more. Always fully size hunting loads so that each and every round easily chambers. With hunting loads, reliability is more important than the last bit of accuracy.
Cleaning the inside of case necks improves consistency of bullet pull and helps reduce case stretching. Use a special nylon bristle brush or an old bore brush to quickly and easily remove powder fouling from inside case necks. Mount the brush in a handle or use a power screwdriver to thoroughly clean the neck. A tiny amount of dry lube on the brush will help reduce drag from the sizing ball, but avoid using any oil-type lube. Discard any cases with tiny cracks in the neck area.
More rifle barrels are ruined by poor cleaning methods than by shooting. Always clean from the breech if possible, and use a chamber guide to protect the delicate throat area. Use a stiff, one-piece cleaning rod, either coated or stainless steel. Bronze bore brushes and jag-style patch holders are the only rod tips to use. Loop-style patch holders can rub against the bore surface. To clean a rifle, start with one or two patches wet with any good powder solvent. Let the barrel sit for 10 minutes while the solvent works. Now pass a bronze brush through the barrel 20 to 25 times. Follow with a wet patch and several dry patches. If the dry patches are still dirty, repeat the process. Finish with a lightly oiled patch.
Many rifles are sighted in incorrectly, especially for use on big game. It is a serious mistake to sight in exactly “on” at 100 yards. If sighted this way, bullet drop is excessive at ranges over 100 yards. Instead, when sighting in for big game, adjust sights to hit 2 ½ inches high at 100 yards. With high intensity rounds like the .270, .30-06, 7mm Magnum and similar calibers, this allows a center hold on deer-sized or larger animals out to as far as 300 yards. With milder rounds like the .30-30, .300 Savage or 8mm Mauser, the point blank range is about 200 yards. Do not shoot at big game animals beyond these ranges because drop and wind deflection become unpredictable. The chance of wounding the animal is too great. Sight-in correctly, than aim at hair, never air!
For better bullet alignment in loaded ammo, seat each bullet part way into the case neck, then lower the press ram a bit. Rotate the case one-half turn then finish seating the bullet. Any misalignment caused by the bullet initially being cocked will be corrected. Bullets that are more nearly aligned with the bore axis will enter the rifling straighter and will not be deformed. Crooked, deformed bullets are invariably less accurate than perfect ones.
Using a chronograph reveals more than just bullet speed. Analysis of extreme spread, standard deviation and other statistical data can reveal differences in load consistency. Comparing results with standard loading manuals can reveal if a gun has tight or loose chamber and throat dimensions. When working up loads, smaller and smaller increases in velocity with identical increases in powder charge signal a near-maximum load.
Reloaders and wildcatters can predict load performance using the following ratios: Ø If the case capacity is constant, potential velocity varies inversely at one half the percentage change of the bullet weight. Ø If bore size is constant, potential velocity varies at one fourth the percentage change of the case capacity. Ø If case capacity is constant, potential velocity varies at one fourth the percentage change of the bullet base area.
To use a duplex reticle as a rangefinder for big game hunting, zoom until a measured 18-inch target just fits between the heavy sections of crosshairs at 100 yards. Note at what power that happens. In the field, set that same power. A deer that fits the same area from back to belly is 100 yards away. If it fills from the horizontal crosshair to the heavy section, it is at 200. If it fills only half distance from the fine crosshair to the heavy section, a deer is at 400 yards and probably too far to shoot. For elk hunting, follow the same procedure, but use a 24-inch target. The resulting power setting will be lower than that for deer, so make a note of both. You can adopt this procedure for any size game animal.
Tests show that most case stretching occurs not in the gun but in the sizing die. When a fired case is squeezed back to size, the displaced brass must go somewhere, and the only direction it can move is in length. Then, as the case is being removed from the sizing die, the expander ball pulls even more brass upwards as it is withdrawn from the neck. To minimize case growth, size as little as possible and always clean and lightly lubricate the inside of case necks. You can also polish the expander ball with fine emery cloth while spinning the decapping rod assembly in a drill. Because brass is removed during trimming, cases get thinner over time. If a case has been trimmed four or five times, or fired more than about 30 times, it should be discarded.
Factory new brass is sure pretty, but it isn’t ready to load. All new brass should be sized, checked for overall length and the case mouths chamfered inside and out. Often, case mouths are bent or rough from shipment, which would make loading difficult or impossible. In addition, cases loaded as is might not be sufficiently sized to enter a normal chamber. If new brass is primed, remove the decapping pin from your sizing die before sizing. Carefully wipe off sizing lube and proceed as usual. One additional step is helpful, but not mandatory. The inner lip of the primer flash hole is often burred and jagged after being punched. A flash hole deburring tool will remove the burrs, which will improve the consistency of ignition. A regular twist drill can also be used by turning it with your fingers ONLY. Pick a bit just small enough to fit into the neck, and long enough to grip with your fingertips. Be careful not to do more than remove the burrs. One full turn is plenty. This needs to be done only once for the life of the brass.
In most calibers, almost any brand of primer will give acceptable results. Pick one kind and stick with it throughout load development. Once a best load is found, you may change primers in a final search for accuracy. However, in maximum or near-maximum loads, reduce load and work up again with the new primer. Use standard strength primers unless your reloading manuals specifically recommend magnums. Best accuracy usually comes with non-magnum primers.
Always use the most current loading manuals. Manufacturers are constantly making slight changes or improvements in all loading components. Also, in recent years, more accurate methods of pressure measurement have been developed, indicating that older data may not have been safe. The only way to be sure that your loads are safe is to use the most recently tested data. The preferred method is to use data supplied by the bullet manufacturer. Always cross check with data from the powder manufacturer, or several different manuals. Mistakes do creep in. Any grossly different data should always be viewed with extreme suspicion.
Bullet seating depth is critical in handguns. If overall length is too long, it can prevent proper functioning in both revolvers and semi autos. Too short – when bullets are seated or driven too deep - is even worse a problem because it drastically reduces cartridge capacity. With very fast-burning pistol powders, reduced case capacity can mean dangerous pressures. Pressures can exceed 125,000 psi if a bullet is seated as little as 0.1" deeper than usual in some cartridges, enough to destroy a gun and cause injury. Make sure that you load ammunition to the specified length. With semi-auto pistol ammo, use a taper crimp to insure that bullets cannot be driven deeper into the case when the nose of the bullet hits the feed ramp during the loading cycle.
Select bullets based on the terminal effect desired, not on ballistic coefficient. A bullet’s BC is only a rough approximation of its air drag, not a predictor of accuracy or performance on game. BC can also change widely based on muzzle velocity and stability. Match bullets have a high BC, but are designed for maximum accuracy only, with no regard for expansion, penetration or weight retention. They should not be used for any type of hunting. Big game bullets are designed for their terminal performance first, followed by accuracy and lastly for their BC. Proper sight-in techniques can easily compensate for a slightly lower BC.
Contrary to common belief, longer barrels have no benefit whatsoever for accuracy or effective range. Longer rifle barrels can sometimes (but not always) result in higher muzzle velocities. On the other hand, but they usually give poorer accuracy due to larger muzzle vibrations. Shorter rifle barrels give up a small amount of velocity and have higher muzzle blast but usually give better accuracy due to increased stiffness. Longer handgun barrels can be shot more accurately because of longer sight radius, but are not inherently more accurate. Long shotgun barrels are heavier and swing smoother but do not shoot farther, faster or deliver tighter patterns.
The two most critical parts of a barrel are its throat and its crown. Damage to either can destroy accuracy. The throat is where the bullet first contacts the barrel under extreme pressure and acceleration forces. A rough or damaged throat can cause damage to the bullet that destroys any chance of accuracy. Most damage to the throat occurs from overheating due to maximum loads or rapid fire. Some throat damage occurs over time by even normal shooting, but most barrels can last for tens of thousands of shots before damage becomes severe, if those shots are taken with care. The crown is the last place that the bullet touches the barrel, and if the crown is damaged, that last contact will be uneven and will disturb the bullet’s flight. Damage to the crown is usually from impacts or poor cleaning methods. Crowns can easily be recut, but a damaged throat cannot be cured without rechambering.
Cast bullets give best accuracy and least leading when they are the correct hardness. To determine the best cast bullet hardness for a given load, first determine the expected peak chamber pressure for a given load by referring to a good loading manual. Divide the peak chamber pressure by 1,422. The result is the optimum Brinell Hardness Number (BHN) for that load. Example: A .38 Special midrange load averages 15,500 psi. The best BHN is about 11. Pure lead has a BHN of 5, 16-1 alloy about 10, wheel weights or Lyman #2 about 15, linotype about 22. Bullets that are too hard never obturate to fill the rifling, allowing hot gas to leak past the bullet and melt it, causing leading. Bullets that are too soft can strip in the rifling at high pressure, also causing leading and poor accuracy.
When developing loads of more than one bullet weight for a cartridge, always start with the heaviest bullet weight you plan to use. When you discover a maximum charge weight with a given powder, you can substitute the next lighter bullet at that same charge of that powder. Two or three bullet weights are sufficient for most uses in a given caliber. When working with different powders but only one bullet weight, start with the fastest powder you plan to try. When you reach a maximum load with that powder, you can safely use the same charge weight with the next slower powder. Always refer to a current loading manual before assembling any loads.
You can easily develop a varmint/practice load for your big game rifle that will match the trajectory of your hunting load. If you know the velocity of your heavy hunting load, simply select a lightweight bullet with the same ballistic coefficient, then load it to the same velocity as the heavy load. (Use a somewhat faster powder for best results) Two bullets with the same ballistic coefficient, fired at the same velocity, will have the same trajectory, regardless of their bullet weights. You may not even have to change your sight settings. You’ll have a light recoil load for varmints or practice and you won’t have to learn any different holdover amounts.
The only safe comparison data for handloads is developed by firing several different factory loads with the same bullet weight in a given firearm. The velocity, accuracy, case expansion, ease of extraction and other factors for those factory rounds are then considered norms for that gun. No handload should significantly exceed any of those parameters if safe. Do not expect to precisely duplicate results given in loading manuals because the exact components and conditions they were fired under cannot be duplicated.
In shotgun loading, select a recipe that gives the highest velocity with the lowest chamber pressure. This generally occurs with the lightest shot charge consistent with the purpose of the load. Any change of shotgun components may have a drastic effect on pressure: hull, primer, powder, wad or shot. Do not arbitrarily change any component from the recommended recipe, except that a slight reduction in powder charge may often give better patterns. Only testing can verify this.
Statistically, ten-shot tests give much more meaningful data than smaller tests. Three or even five-shot tests can be freakishly good or bad and give no degree of confidence that the same components will give very different results over time. Always fire ten-shot groups when testing new load combinations, whether using a chronograph or not. Good or bad combinations will show up faithfully in just one group.
Brass cases or shotshell hulls can be colored for identification. Test loads or loads for special purposes can be temporarily identified by marking the bullets or primers with colored markers. To permanently mark special cases, blacken the entire headstamp area or create a band around the base area of the case. Cold bluing compounds for steel will permanently blacken brass. Brush solution on with a cotton swab or dip case head into a shallow container such as a film canister holding a small amount of solution.
When developing loads, select bullet, then powder, then primer. The bullet is most important. It should be of the correct expansion style, material, shape, diameter and weight for the intended use. Next is the powder. It should be selected for type, burn rate, density and temperature sensitivity. Finally, find best likely combinations in loading manuals and test with several different primers. Accuracy is more important than velocity in most applications. Keep very detailed records to make testing valid.
Case lubrication is vital during resizing. All bottlenecked cases must be lubed during sizing, but too much lube is as bad as too little. There should be no visible amount of lube on a case. Use only lubes specifically designed for case resizing and apply just enough so that the sizing die doesn’t drag. Remove lube either by tumbling in cleaning media or by wiping each case with a rag lightly moistened with bore solvent. Never handle primers or powder with case lube on your fingers, or the lube will deaden the priming mix.
If you are having trouble with powder bridging or clinging in the powder measure, the problem may be with static electricity. Wipe the outside of the plastic powder reservoir with an anti-static cloth before use. Powder funnels should be cleaned with a soft cloth, then wiped inside and out with an anti-static cloth to reduce powder clinging. Between loading sessions, empty powder from the measure and insert a loosely crumpled fabric softener sheet in the reservoir.
Do not use loading data from one source if using components from another source. Base reloading recipes on data from the bullet manufacturer; crosscheck with data from at least one other source, preferably the powder manufacturer. Variations in bullet material, bearing length and hardness have a major effect on pressure and velocity differences. This is why data varies between manuals. Other differences - in test technique, test guns and equipment calibration – also cause data to be different.
Case crimp is one of the most important factors in shotshell reloading. The more consistent a crimp is, the more consistent the velocity and patterning of the load. Hulls with weak or ragged mouths should be discarded or used only for informal shooting. Visually check every round to be used in competition. Set any aside that have poorly formed or odd looking crimps, especially any with too deep or too shallow crimp.
When shooting under windy conditions, always try to take each shot under identical conditions, especially when range testing ammunition. Use a wind flag set near the firing point. Wind near the rifle has more effect on accuracy than wind near the target, because any deflection caused near the muzzle causes the bullet to impact farther out of the group.
Cleanliness is vital to consistent loading. Sizing dies can be ruined by grit, and seating dies can seat bullets progressively deeper as crud builds up. Grit in a shotshell loader not only accelerates wear but can lead to misfeeding of powder, primers or shot. Clean dies with any good bore solvent followed by a rust preventer. Clean reloading machines first with a soft brush, then a cloth moistened with bore solvent. Never use penetrating oils, which could kill primers.
Check primer seating for consistency both in metallic and shotshell reloading. Primers should be seated flush with the case head or slightly below flush. Primers should never protrude above the case head, or slam fires can occur. Rub the ball of your thumb over every primed case before charging with powder. Your sense of touch is an extremely accurate indicator of primer seating depth. Reseat if necessary, but never reseat the primer of a loaded round.
Much of the accuracy of a powder measure is in the hand of the operator. Always move the charging handle at the same speed and with the same force. If you "bump" the handle at the top or bottom of the stroke to settle the powder, do it exactly the same every time. A powder baffle in the bottom of the supply reservoir helps keep a constant settled weight of powder above the drum. Keep the reservoir about two-thirds full at all times for best results.
Seating depth can have a major effect on rifle accuracy. Experiment by seating bullets long enough to lightly touch the rifling lands, then seating deeper in 0.01" increments. Seat no deeper than 0.10" off the lands unless very short bullets are used. Many rifles shoot best with bullets seated 0.020" off the lands, but yours may be different. Test all hunting rounds through the magazine to insure none are too long for proper feeding.
Standard full-length sizing dies are best for most rifle reloading. Neck sizing dies are OK for target shooting in one rifle only, but hunting rounds should always be full length sized to insure ease of feeding and chambering. Small base sizing dies may be needed for lever, pump and semiautomatic rifle, or for rifles with minimum sized chambers. Small base dies size the base portion of each case to minimum dimensions to guarantee smooth feeding and chambering. Match shellholder to dies by manufacturer to insure proper headspace dimensions.
Bullets without crimping grooves should never be crimped. Either the bullet or the cases will be damaged. Non-magnum rifle rounds normally do not need crimping, but magnum cartridges and those for lever actions or semi-automatic actions should always be crimped. In handguns, revolvers should always be crimped but semi-autos should not be roll crimped at all. Light taper crimping is OK in autos, and special dies are usually provided for this.
For most handgun shooting, cast bullets are the best choice. Jacketed bullets may be better for some applications, such as where bullet expansion is needed or if velocities will be higher than about 1,200 fps. Also, some semiauto pistols demand jacketed bullets because they will not feed cast bullets well. But cast bullets give greater penetration on game, give lower pressures at a given velocity, create less barrel wear, and are less expensive for general shooting.
Rifle and pistol cases should be cleaned before reloading. Powder and primer residues are abrasive and can ruin your sizing die. Tumble fired cases in plain walnut media until clean before reloading. To remove case lube, tumble for one hour in walnut. After tumbling, inspect flash holes for media and wipe cases to remove media grit. To polish clean cases to a bright shine use corn cob media treated with a polishing agent. NEVER tumble loaded ammo - the vibration can pulverize gunpowder or priming mixtures, resulting in VERY dangerous loads.
Cold bluing solutions work best if the steel to be blued is thoroughly cleaned and degreased, then warmed. Clean with any good bore solvent on a rag, then degrease with alcohol, acetone or disk brake cleaning spray. Do not touch metal with your hands after degreasing. Warm metal with a gas flame or sunlight before bluing, but do not get so hot that bluing solution sizzles. Apply bluing in several coats, rewarming metal if needed. When proper color is reached, protect all exposed surfaces with oil.
Discard cases when primer pockets get loose. If fired, loose primers can leak hot gas into your face or damage the bolt of the rifle. When priming a batch of cases, mark each case with marginal pockets to be disposed after the next firing. Use permanent marker, nail polish or a file mark on case heads. Test suspect cases by tapping them at an angle against a hard flat surface. If the primer backs out even a little bit, discard before loading. The primer can be salvaged if it can be easily pushed out with a thin wire, but it is safer to discard them.
When testing new ammunition combinations, change only one component at a time. For example, if changing powder charge, keep primer, brass and bullet exactly the same. Always start tests with sufficient amounts of brass, primers, powder and bullets of the same lot numbers so that the entire test series can be completed without changing to different lots of components. If you must change lot numbers of any item, reshoot a previously tested combination to verify performance with the new component before proceeding.
Reloaders can no longer routinely expect to better either accuracy or velocity of factory loads in most calibers. Instead, the reloader should strive to meet factory performance with a load tailored to an individual gun. Another reasonable goal is to develop loads not available from the factory such as premium bullet loads, varmint loads in big game calibers or reduced loads for small game or practice. Cost savings through reloading are also a valid goal, and can be realized on a per-box basis. But reloaders generally save money only so that they can shoot more.
For best field results using steel shot, select improved cylinder choke and use shot no more than two sizes larger than lead shot. Usually size 2 shot works well for ducks and size BB or BBB for geese. Too large a shot size reduces the number of pellets available, which hurts patterns. More important, you will get tighter, more even patterns with more open choke when shooting steel. Also, a longer barrel makes better use of the very slow burning powders in steel ammo. When reloading steel shot it is extremely important to follow published load recipes exactly, as steel components are completely unforgiving.
For full power hunting loads, select a powder that most nearly fills the case at safe pressure levels. Higher loading density usually gives more consistency in velocity and accuracy at a cost of somewhat increased recoil. If a chosen powder fills less than 75% of the case, try a slightly slower burning powder. Select a bullet that will provide adequate penetration from even difficult angles. High sectional density (long length for the caliber) bullets will generally penetrate farther even after expanding. Cycle every loaded round from the magazine to the chamber to make sure every one feeds and chambers properly.
For best accuracy results in rifles and handguns, do not switch from cast to jacketed bullets or vice versa. If a barrel is fouled with lead, firing jacketed bullets “irons in” the lead fouling, creating rough spots where the jacketed bullets will deform or skid through the rifling. Likewise, firing cast bullets through jacketed fouling will strip lead from the bullet. Both actions destroy accuracy and make bores much harder to clean. Instead, always clean your bore thoroughly before changing to a different kind of bullet.
Reloaders can create practice and hunting loads with the same trajectory. To match your hunting load, select a lighter weight bullet with nearly the same ballistic coefficient as your hunting bullet. Then load the lighter bullet to the same muzzle velocity as the hunting bullet. The actual trajectories will be identical, but recoil will be much reduced. The lighter load can be used for practice, smaller game or as a load for a recoil sensitive shooter. The rifle will probably shoot to nearly the same point of impact, but this must be checked.
Priming cases is the only dangerous part of reloading. Although primers hold less than half a grain of priming compound, it is a true explosive. It must be sensitive to impact to work, and it can go off if mistreated. One primer detonating near your hands and face may cause an injury, but 100 going off will certainly be much worse. The metal parts of primers have been shown to travel at more than 3000 fps if detonated uncontained. Always wear a face shield or at least safety glasses when priming. If a primer seats hard, stop and do not force it.
To avoid a bulged or burst rifle barrel, make certain that no debris or foreign object gets stuck in the muzzle. Even large amounts of water can cause a barrel burst. To protect your gun and yourself from injury, place a strip of electrical tape across the muzzle. The tape will keep all debris out of the muzzle and will also help protect the crown from damage. When you shoot, the air ahead of the bullet will break the tape. No change of impact or velocity will occur.
Accuracy is relative. From the bench, groups need only be half the diameter of your intended target at the expected range. If you are shooting at deer, and expect 300-yard shots, you only need to be able to shoot 6” groups at that range. That translates to 2” groups at 100 yards. Smaller groups are comforting but not necessary. Consistency of group size is more important than the smallest group possible. A rifle that always shoots 2” groups will make one-shot kills on deer at any practical range if the shooter does his part. |